I think there are a number of physical things I'd like to do that still carry some risks because I won't be able to take a lot of physical risks much longer. I have tried rock climbing and hang gliding--but I'd like to take up contra dancing. I'd like to leap in the air a bit.
And I'm reading about this author who describes getting onto the Internet and typing some ridiculous word into a search engine, then he goes down to the third entry and follows that--to see where it leads him. That strikes me as a great exercise to try.
But here's the most important thing about your question for me: How many of us don't even allow ourselves such curiosities, because they're not useful and they don't immediately lead anywhere? How often do we surrender our curiosity to safe pathways?
What you're helping me remember is how important it is to hallow that fallow curiosity about things. Creativity, the actual academic study of creativity always comes down to the collision of previously unconnected planes of information that come together in brand new ways--whether it's Einstein's theories or humor or art--it's the collision of planes.
How incredibly important it is to let ourselves go there and not to get back on the path too quickly just because we feel we need to be productive and sensible.
DAVID: Well, I'll let you have the last word today--once again from your book. You say that it's important to be out there exploring the world around us, because that's where we're likely to encounter sacred moments. You write, "Earth is so thick with divine possibility that it is a wonder we can walk anywhere without cracking our sins on altars."
BARBARA: This year, I am trying to pay attention more and more to the quickening impulse within me--or maybe we call it intuition or some would call it the movement of the Holy Spirit.
I'm trying to pay more attention to things that happen under my intellectual radar. Maybe a decent image for what we're talking about is a Geiger counter. I want a detector like that with the sound, the static, turned up high enough so I can hear things I'm overlooking.
I want to develop my altar detector this year. And, if I'm more attuned to that, who knows what sorts of altars will turn up?
This article was originally published at Read The Spirit and is reprinted with permission.
David Crumm is an author, journalist, and filmmaker with more than twenty years experience as a Religion Writer for the Detroit Free Press, Knight-Ridder newspapers, and Gannett. Crumm is now the Editor of ReadTheSpirit, a new online home for important voices in religion and spirituality.
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